218 Northbourne Avenue
BRADDON ACT 2612
Tel: 02 6262 7808
TTY: 02 6262 7809
Fax: 02 6262 7810
E-mail: info@deafnessforum.org.au
Website: www.deafnessforum.org.au
DISCUSSION PAPER
BROADBAND
ISSUE
Access to a communications technology of all kinds is a necessity for people who are Deaf,
DeafBlind, have a hearing impairment or a chronic disorder of the ear as they are often
disadvantaged by lack of suitable access. Access to these services must be readily available
at reasonable cost for all Australians.
CURRENT SITUATION
Currently Australian consumers use either wireless via satellite or cable to access
broadband, but the speed of broadband is about 10 to 12 megabits per second (less for dialup, to 56 kilobits per second).
The Federal Government has recently announced that they will invest $43 billion over eight
years to establish a superfast broadband network known as the National Broadband
Network (NBN). It is their vision that all Australian homes and businesses will be able to
access this network to boost the economy, encourage competition, increase broadband
access in rural, remote and regional parts of Australia, increase customer protection, and
reduce unnecessary broadband regulations that are currently in place. This will be a new
company owned by the Federal Government first and then sold down five years after it is
built.
It is in the interests of the Australian Government, through the Department of Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) to improve health systems, education,
climate and infrastructure. In order to do this, a fibre optic based infrastructure will be
implemented across 90% of Australia enabling 100Mbps (megabits per second) – which will
be 100 times faster than that currently used in most homes and businesses. The remaining
10% of Australia will have next generation and satellite technology delivering 12Mbps across
these regions. It is not clear why the remaining 10% of Australia will not be able to access
the NBN. It appears to be (generally) communities under 1000 people.
People who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment use the National relay Service
(NRS) for emergency services access, and therefore cannot use a mobile phone for
emergency services.
DISCUSSION
What is superfast broadband?
Superfast broadband is a type of internet connection. It uses a fibre optic cable which can
transmit a lot more information, a lot more quickly than the standard internet connections,
like dial up, and even current broadband.
According to the NBN, in order to get superfast broadband into Australia, we would need to
implement a fibre optic network as a smart grid. The internet terms for ‘bps’ is bits per
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second and this is a measurement of how much bandwidth is used to send through data
over cable or interface (wireless or dial-up). See below comparison of bandwidth used:
 56 kbps (kilobits per second) – bandwidth of dial-up modem
 256 kbps – bandwidth of ADSL home broadband
 1.5 Mbps (megabits per second) (or 1,500 kbps) – bandwidth of business ADSL
 100 Mbps – bandwidth of LAN
 2 Gbps (2,000 Mbps) – seriously high-bandwidth connection
An example of a connection type between 1.5 Mbps to 100 Mbps transmission:
Imagine: A classroom in a remote part of Western Australia, in Tom Price, has two
deaf children who rely on using Auslan interpreters. There are no Auslan interpreters
in Tom Price but there are in Perth. For some subjects, like English and HSIE, the
children need interpreters which are transmitted onto their Electronic Whiteboard in
the classroom. Through a 1.4 Mbps connection, it is quite common that there are
drop-outs and freezing images when the interpreter signs. The children miss out on a
lot of information. Luckily for them, a fibre optic network has been implemented in
their area to access NBN. Now, they can see the interpreter very clearly, just like
watching TV because of the 100 Mbps transmission.
Below are some examples of the advantages and disadvantages of the Government’s
proposed rollout.
Advantages:
 Access to global services
 E-health
 Reducing carbon emission usages
 Distance education
 E-networking
 E-businesses
 Working from home
 Entertainment
 Communication
 Connecting to remote communities
 Faster connection and cost-saving for consumption
Disadvantages:
 Cost of equipment used to access superfast broadband
 Only 90% of Australia will have access to the fibre optic network
 Might take 8-10 years or more before rollout is complete
 Lack of regulation
Why is it needed?
It is quite apparent that the world is moving fast into a network where businesses, education,
health and productivity rely greatly on bigger, faster and stronger broadband connections.
We are facing a climate crisis and it is believed that this will help reduce carbon emissions in
the near future. Australia cannot afford to be left behind the rest of the world; therefore an
investment needs to be made right now.
People who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment need priority assistance (ie using
internet), because there is no mobile emergency services provision for people who are Deaf,
and only a small number of payphones with TTYs or volume control.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it clear that all people who are Deaf or have a
hearing impairment have the same right to access information as do people with hearing.
Failure to provide equitable access to such facilities means the person who is Deaf or has a
hearing impairment is discriminated against. It is illegal to discriminate against people on the
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basis of their hearing/deafness disability. It is also known that one Australian in every six has
some form of hearing loss.1
Access for people with a hearing disability in Australia has been a great obstacle especially
for those who reside in regional and remote areas. Many individuals do not have sufficient
access to technology or support such as video-conferencing, interpreters, live streaming of
captions, itinerant teacher support and much more. The opportunity to access these services
via a high speed internet would improve the lives of the Deaf and hearing impaired
community immensely. We need to be ready for this technology if we are to keep up with the
rest of the world in the future.
Who benefits from superfast broadband?
Many individuals, homes, small and large businesses, schools, libraries and communities
will benefit from the introduction of superfast broadband. These technological advances will
assist communication across many media, especially for those who are disadvantaged such
as:
 People who are Deaf, Deafblind, have a hearing impairment, or a chronic ear
disorder
 The families of the Deaf or hearing impaired
 School communities
 Service providers
 Community centres
 Local governments and more.
Deafness Forum’s position
The Deafness Forum of Australia supports the joint policy paper Accessible Broadband for
All Australians prepared by Media Access Australia (MAA), Australian Communications
Exchange (ACE) and Consumers Telecommunications Network (CTN). This can be found at
http://www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm?ContentType=Content&ContentID=304
It is important to highlight a number of issues raised in this paper as well as highlighting
concerns, views and thoughts from our members on the issue of broadband. With both
resources, the Deafness Forum would like to respond to the issue of broadband and the
NBN with a formal position statement. The Accessible Broadband for All Australians paper
was written before the announcement of the NBN by the Federal Government. However, the
issues covered in that paper are relevant and will be used to support this discussion.
People are often confused by what type of broadband services they need, and what is
available to them. Can they afford it? Do they really need it? These are the type of questions
asked by our members. Accessibility, availability and affordability are major issues for people
with a disability, most especially those who are on the Disability Support Pension, or a family
with low income. Availability and affordability are some of the most important aspects to gain
access to broadband – and some of the primary issues that need to be addressed.
In the joint policy paper written by MAA, ACE and CTN, it outlined the benchmark areas that
must be addressed following:
 Universal availability
 Technology quality of service
 Regulatory arrangements
 Affordability
 Service offerings
 Equipment
1
Listen Hear! The Economic Impact and Cost of Hearing Loss in Australia, Access Economics , Feb 2006
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 Support programs and training, and
 Content accessibility.
Interestingly, in that paper, it recommends that the NBN must develop a blueprint for
achieving 100% coverage. As we now know, the NBN will only cover 90% of Australia. In
that remaining 10% who do not have access, there will be people that will definitely need
access to this superfast broadband. We need some explanation to why the remaining 10%
will not be part of this grid. It is highly probable there will be disadvantaged people living in
those regions that will not have NBN. This is discrimination against them.
The roll-out of fibre optic network grids must be targeted to areas where people need to
access the NBN the most. These people should not miss out. It is important that broadband
access is fully inclusive and accessible for all regardless of their location, their income or
ability. This does not relate only to homes or businesses, this relates to all areas of life - from
home to school, to school communities to tertiary education, to work life and leisure. No one
should be left behind.
The future is here, and we are facing new barriers every day. The increasing use of the
internet is starting to create a divide between the users who can access information and
people who cannot access information. It is extremely vital for the Federal Government to
ensure that the internet does not exclude anybody. What we mean by exclusion, is excluding
access to information such the IPTV platforms (television delivered over broadband),
Australian-made websites and its videos, VoIP (voice over IP), cost-effective videoconferencing connections, reasonable price offering of broadband plans, etc. This is all
related to content accessibility and affordability.
Deafness Forum has recently submitted a response to the Federal Government on the
feasibility study of Independent Disability Equipment Program. Deafness Forum wants the
equipment that is required to access broadband be included in the IDEP. Equipment and
hardware can be expensive for those who are disadvantaged.
What are our members saying?
Julie: “Email messages and standard websites have been relatively easy, and in many cases
very much so for deaf and hearing impaired people to participate and enjoy online. This is
because so much of it was simply able to be read. But now there is much more face-to-face
communication like you may find on Skype, MMS or video-calling services. There’s no
guarantee of subtitles or captioning available! YouTube videos generally do not have
captions provided.”
Kate: “Having good broadband means we can make relay phone calls over the internet,
attend university online, check public services announcements online, watch captioned news
videos, search for a doctor in the local area to email so I don't have to call to make an
appointment, email work colleagues, teleconferences at work can be done online instead of
sitting in a room not being able to hear, msn and Skype can be used for instant messaging,
forums can be joined to discuss topics, and websites and blogs can be uploaded and shared
in social interaction and education… because after all - the internet breaks down the barriers
which deaf and hearing impaired people usually experience.”
VicDeaf: “Deaf and hard of hearing people use technology in increasing capacity,
complexity, in their working and recreational aspects of their lives. If there was better access
to broadband I believe that this could have a very positive affect on employment, education,
people's personal lives, there are many positive repercussions and as technology continues
to develop so quickly this would offer Deaf and hard of hearing people.”
Peter: “Where I live broadband is unavailable although I'm told that houses only 200m away
have broadband. Wireless broadband is probably available through Telstra but it is costly for
the use that I'd put it to also the plans that I've seen require sign up for 3 years a term. I
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consider that far too long. Any upgrades or better technology in the near future would be
unavailable until expiration of the term.”
Anonymous: “When I lost my hearing my only contact with the outside world apart from pen
and paper was texting on a mobile and via computer. Automatic updates of antivirus
programs take forever on dial-up and quite often when trying to contact people everything
slowed down until updates had finished loading.”
International experience
It is apparent that Australia is not the only country working towards superfast broadband
nation. The US and the UK both have the goal to improve broadband in their country, to
stimulate the economy and innovation for the future.
Australia vs. U.S. in broadband stimulus plans, by Marguerite Reardon
CNET news, April 8, 2009
“…U.S. President Barack Obama also believes that broadband is crucial to keeping America
competitive in the world. The U.S. has consistently fallen short of other nations when it
comes to broadband. A year ago, the International Telecommunications Union ranked the
U.S. 15th in the world when it comes to broadband. Australia was ranked 12th.
Even though both countries see broadband as an important way to stimulate the economy
and a good investment for future productivity and innovation, they are going about it in very
different ways. Instead of controlling the deployment of new telecommunications
infrastructure, the U.S. plans to provide funding to the private sector as well as local and
state governments to build infrastructure and invest in new services as they see fit.
Congress has allocated $7.2 billion as part of its overall economic stimulus package to
increase broadband penetration and coverage and to provide faster, more affordable service
to as many Americans as possible. As part of the new legislation, the Federal
Communications Commission has also been tasked with coming up with a national
broadband policy.
On Wednesday, the FCC opened up discussion to help establish a national broadband
policy. While the stimulus investment is certainly a start, the U.S. government has made no
strides to build infrastructure itself. Instead, it will rely on a public/private partnership to
improve the national broadband network…”
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10215603-38.html
UK government unveils broadband-for-everyone plan
Sydney Morning Herald, January 30, 2009
Every home in Britain will be guaranteed access to broadband internet under plans unveiled
by the government, which put the technology on a par with telephones as an essential
service.
Universal service obligations (USOs) were used in 1840 to guarantee postal services across
Britain, and in 1984 to ensure everyone had access to a phone.
The plan to give every household broadband access by the 2012 Olympic Games in London
is part of a new strategy, which includes upgrading radio from analogue to digital, to ensure
Britain's future in a digital age.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said digital technology would be as important to Britain's
prosperity in the 21st economy as "roads, bridges, trains and electricity were in the 20th
century."
A final report outlining the strategy in more detail is due later this year.
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AFP, SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/connectivity/wireless--broadband/uk-governmentunveils-broadbandforeveryone-plan/2009/01/30/1232818697478.html
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Australia has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The
general obligations of the UN Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities include
that the Government will take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or
abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination
against persons with disabilities; to undertake or promote research and development of, and
to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and
communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for
persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost. Specifically:
Article 9 Accessibility states that the parties will enable persons with disabilities to live
independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, take appropriate measures to ensure
to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical
environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and
communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or
provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas. These measures shall include the
identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility.
CONCLUSIONS
1. All people who are Deaf or have a hearing impairment have the same right to access
information as do people with hearing. Failure to provide equitable access to such
facilities means the person who is Deaf or has a hearing impairment is discriminated
against.
2. Access to high quality broadband services is a necessity for people who are Deaf,
hearing impaired or DeafBlind.
3. Access to these services must be readily available at reasonable cost for all Australians.
4. The opportunity to access these services via a high speed internet would improve the
lives of the deaf and hearing impaired community immensely. It is the future’s technology
we need to be ready for.
5. The remaining 10% will not be part of this grid. It is highly probable there will be
disadvantaged people living in those regions that will not have NBN. This is a
discrimination against them.
6. Deafness Forum supports the expansion of the USO to include broadband Internet.
RECOMMENDED POSITION
Deafness Forum recommends that the Federal Government consider prioritising the roll-out
of fibre optics and next generation wireless for people with a disability and those diagnosed
with a life threatening condition.
Deafness Forum recommends availability and affordability are some of the most important
aspects in gaining access to broadband – and some of the primary issues that need to be
addressed.
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RESEARCH BASIS
Accessible Broadband for All Australians, prepared by Media Access Australia, Australian
Communications Exchange, and Consumer Telecommunication Network.
Australia vs. U.S. in broadband stimulus plans, by Marguerite Reardon, April 8, 2009, CNET
news.
Access Economics report (2006) Listen Hear! The economic costs of hearing loss in
Australia.
National Broadband Network - Regulatory Reform for 21st Century Broadband, written by the
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
UK government unveils broadband-for-everyone plan, 30 January 2009, SMH.
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